Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-10-Speech-3-044"
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"en.20071010.16.3-044"2
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"Mr President, we have been fighting with some success for greater democracy and efficiency in the constitutional process – now in the process towards this Reform Treaty – but the discussion cannot really be about transparency. We could have already read everything that the Council Presidency has presented here by way of a briefing to this House in the press. A few more substantial statements by the Presidency would have been apt. The fight for transparency must therefore continue! Where this Parliament has been very heavily involved – for which I am extraordinarily grateful to our representatives – is in fighting for the greater rule of law. Data protection in the common foreign and security policy, greater parliamentary participation, the abolition of the third pillar in favour of a common justice and home affairs policy, the legally binding nature of the Charter, these are all subjects which are important even for the Liberals in the centre and based on our common values.
With regard to the opt-outs, let me say the following. A distinction can be made between those based on home affairs policy and those that concern foreign policy. In home affairs policy they perhaps concern a legal culture, national traditions, and different notions of social values. I can even understand, if not actually approve of, the fact that we are voting for an opt-out here. What I cannot understand or approve of at all is the blockade by a few Member States, particularly the United Kingdom, in the area of common foreign and security policy. Timothy Kirkhope has just said: we should be developing policy where the citizens support it. The citizens support a credible common foreign and security policy. It is an objective necessity in view of the challenges we are facing: combating terrorism, the crisis in the Middle East, fighting poverty, infectious diseases, and migration. There is a range of challenges here which we can only meet together.
We are therefore wondering quite objectively (and Martin Schulz has done so and I think he is completely right) who will be deciding the world’s destiny in twenty or thirty years’ time? The United States, China, India and … the United Kingdom? Nobody believes that! Nor will Germany or France be doing so either. We will either be doing this together or not at all! We therefore need a European spirit and we need this Reform Treaty!"@en1
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